Pat and Jim lost their first child just two weeks after he was born, and when Pat became pregnant again the couple were told that their unborn child had spina bifida. When Louise was born in 1982, doctors said she would not live.

When Louise was 14 her wheelchair crashed off a high kerb in Alnwick and she went into a coma. Against the odds, Louise woke up from the coma after 27 days, again defying doctors.

Pat, 54, said: "We were told there was nothing we could do. We decided to bring her home and try to carry on as normal. Then she woke up and has recovered."

Jim, 63, said: "She is now going to Gateshead College doing a course called Learning to Live. She's done so well ."

Just when life was beginning to return to normal for the Hewson family, Jim suffered from serious heart problems and had to undergo a quadruple bypass operation at Christmas, 1999.

He was made redundant at around the same time and is now unable to work.

In a previous marriage Pat also lost another son, David, who fell victim to cot death. Jim's son Graeme from a previous marriage also died at the age of 24 from cystic fibrosis.

In a letter to the Chronicle, Sharon, 37, of Park Road, Wallsend, said: "They are marvellous people who, despite their struggles, always have time to give to others and still manage to exude great humour."